The Two-Way

12:33 pm

Tue October 11, 2011

In this file image taken from a video released by Hamas in 2009, Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit is seen holding a newspaper in an unknown location.

AnonymousAP

The AP, along with several other news sources including Al Arabiya and Haaretz, are reporting that Israel and Hamas have reached a prisoner-swap deal that will free Israeli Sgt. Gilad Schalit and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Schalit, if you remember, was captured by Palestinian militants in 2006 and his father, Noam, has led a popular effort to free him.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, convened an urgent meeting Tuesday night with his Cabinet to approve the deal, said an Israeli official, who spoke on condition pending a formal announcement. A senior Hamas official in Cairo also confirmed the deal.

The agreement would exchange Schalit, 25, for around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel had previously balked at Hamas' demands because some of the prisoners are serving lengthy sentences for deadly attacks on Israelis. Exact details of the deal were not immediately available.

Al Arabiya reports that the swap will begin in November.

Schalit's capture was what led to the Israeli blockade of Gaza. And, as the AP adds, these negotiations hit close to home for many Israelis because military service is compulsory. For Palestinians, it's equally important because many have seen family members serve time in Israeli prisons.